2010 Porsche 911 Turbo

Arriving at U.S. dealers in January: a new, more powerful, 911 Turbo with PDK.

Porsche recently released details about its 2010 911 Turbo, which will be unveiled in Coupe and Cabriolet forms at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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The vitals: The flat-6 engine is now larger, displacing 3.8 liters instead of the previous 3.6. What's more, thanks to direct injection and a new expansion manifold (first seen on the GT2 model), the powerplant puts out an even 500 bhp (a gain of 20 over the previous model), and peak torque is up to 516 lb.-ft. (an increase of 15) when the car is fitted with the optional Sport Chrono Package Turbo. Among the items in this package are dynamic engine mounts. First seen on the new GT3, these are filled with a magnetorheological fluid that can be adjusted for comfort or sport, depending on how the car is being driven.

The other big news is the arrival of the PDK (Porsche-Doppelkupplung) 7-speed transmission in the new Turbo. A Turbo fitted with PDK and the Sport Chrono Package will hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, says Porsche, and the top speed is 194 mph for both the Coupe and Cabriolet. An optional 3-spoke steering wheel features true shift paddles, which we suspect we'd highly favor over the buttons of the standard PDK steering wheel, which remains available.

Although Porsche does not have EPA fuel-economy figures on the Turbo yet, the German company says C02 emissions are reduced by 18 percent. Moreover, the new 2010 Turbo will be available with Porsche Torque Vectoring, an option that complements the standard traction and stability control systems. PTV's mechanical limited-slip center differential actively distributes power fore and aft to greatly improve the car's ability to exit corners with lots of throttle.

The 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe and Cabriolet arrive at U.S. dealers in January, priced at $132,800 and $143,800, respectively.